Circular jet hydraulic operator



March 29, 1960 Filed Dec. 6, 1957 H. L.BOWDITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 f 2 2 LIQUID 64 LEVEL mm FG E 4| llllll IN V EN TOR. HOEL L. BOWDITCH BY 42 afzmwaew fm AGENT March 29,1960 H. BowDh'cH 2,930,389

CIRCULAR JET HYDRAULIC OPERATOR Filed Dec. 6, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5\ 49 l F|G.I 46

FIQEI INVEN TOR. HOEL L. BOWDITCH March 29, 1960 H. L. BOWDITCH 2,930,389

CIRCULAR JET HYDRAULIC OPERATOR Filed Dec. 6, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGLXI IN VEN TOR. HOEL L. BOWDITCH CIRCULAR JET HYDRAULIC OPERATOR Heel L. Bowditch, Foxboro, Mass, assignor to The Foxhoro Company, Foxboro, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 6, 1957, Serial No. 701,089

8 Claims. (Cl. 137-83) This invention relates to systems for positioning a movable device such as a valve or piston in accordance with an operating signal, and has particular reference to such systems wherein the action thereof is based on movement of a hydraulic jet from one receiving pipe or chamber to another receiving pipe or chamber in ac cordance with the operating signal.

In the past, such devices have used a single, relatively small jet pipe which was moved from one to the other of a pair of small receiver pipes. Reaction forces were encountered and the liquid volume which could be applied in this manner was small, making it necessary to operate under relatively high pressure. Further, the jet stream was round, as were the jet receiver pipes, and the receiver pipes were spaced somewhat from each other. All this resulted in operation on a relatively low sensi tivity basis. It took a substantial movement, in terms of modern instrumentation, to move a substantial portion of the jet stream from one receiver pipe to the other.

This invention is based on the use of an annular jet nozzle arranged with annular receiving chambers to provide a fiat, annular jet with minimum spacing between the receiving chambers. There are essentially no reaction forces and, because of the circle nature of the jet, a small, compact structure may be used to provide substantial jet volumes. Thus, this invention provides a highly sensitive hydraulic operator which is operable on a low pressure, large volume basis.

A further advantage of the device of this invention is the flexible mounting of the jet assembly, such that there is a minimum inherent restraining force with respect to the operating signal.

Another advantage is in the use of fiat disc jet stream gas assemblies, providing an easily manufactured, high precision device.

Another advantage is in the slot-like jet and jet receiver arrangements, with a thin separator wall between the jet receiver chambers. Thus, a minimum movement, accomplished by a minimum force, is needed to shift a substantial amount of the jet flow from one receiving chamber to the other.

The device of this invention is, therefore, one of high sensitivity, on the basis of a large jet volume device which is a good low pressure system and which is small, compact, and easily constructed, and which is nevertheless a high precision output device.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved hydraulic jet operator.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter, and in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is a showing of a hydraulic jet system according to this invention;

Figure II is a schematic illustration of the liquid jet form according to this invention;

Figure III is an illustration of the operation of the circular jet according to this invention, with fragmentary parts and schematic indication;

ate-n "ice . Figure IV is a showing of a circular jet structure ac cording to this invention mainly in vertical, central section;

Figures V, VI, VII, and VIII are illustrations of portions of the circular jet assembly of Figure IV, with Figure VIII taken as on line VIII-VIII of Figure V as if Figure V were unsectioned;

Figure IX is a plan view of the assembly of Figure IV, as unsectioned;

Figure X is a front elevation of the structure of Figure IX;

Figure XI is a right-hand elevation of the main body of the structure of F igure X;

Figure XII is a left-hand elevationof the main body of the structure of Figure X. I V

Figure XIII is a partial showing of the Figure IV struc ture somewhat less in section, and with the jet device positioned fully to the left; and

Figure XIV is a showing like Figure XIII, with the jet device positioned fully to the right.

As shown in Figure I, the hydraulic jet operator, according to this invention, is preferably used in connection with an oil bath with the hydraulic jet and jet receiver located beneath the surface of the oil. This avoids jet side spray over an open device, and also avoids jet receiver inhalation of air or impurities. In Figure I, a tank 10 is provided, with a body of oil 11 therein. The hydraulic operator is indicated generally as at 12 and is mounted on a bracket 13 in suspension within the tank 1% with a substantial portion of the system 12 beneath the surface of the oil 11. At the upper left of Figure I, an input signal bellows 14 is shown with a dot: ted line indication 15 of a mechanical operating connection from the bellows 14 to an operating lever 16. At the lower right of Figure I, a hydraulic pump 17 is provided with a supply pipe 18 therefor leading to the pump 17 from the body of liquid 11 in the tank'll). The output of the pump 17 is thus an oil stream through a pipe 19 into the main body of the system 12. At the top of Figure I, the output of the system 12 is indicated by a pair of pipes 20 and 21 which lead to opposite ends of a piston chamber 22 for positioning movement therein of a piston 23. A piston shaft 24 is thus positioned to perform the output function of the device. This function is not shown. It may be the movement of another piston in a ported sleeve or it may be a valve movement or the like. Further details of Figure I may be understood with reference to the other drawing figures and to the following descriptions.

All of the figures of the drawings are showings of the structure of the Figure I hydraulic operator system 12 as an illustrative embodiment of this invention. AC- cordingly, throughout the drawings the same or representative members are denoted by the same reference numeral.

In Figure II, the arrow arrangements indicate the general annular spray form of the liquid jet according'to this invention. The Figure II arrows are indicated at 30' to represent the same fluid flow discussed hereinafter in connection with Figure III, arrows 30.

In Figure III, a fragmentary showing is presented to illustrate the annular liquid jet and jet receiving chamber arrangement according to this invention. In Figure III, a jet receiving chamber body 25 is shown with the annular jet receiving chambers 26 and 27 therein. A dividing wall 28 is provided between the chambers 26 and 27 in the form of a thin annular disc 28. The jet receiving cham-,

her body 25 is formed with a transverse opening 29 and has passageways therein as at 20' and 21' whichlead from the jet receiving chambers 26 and 27 to the Figur I output connection pipes 20 and 21.

Again-in Figure III, atpair of arrows'as at 30 schematically represent the jet stream of this invention which comes into the device horizontally and is spread fan wise, as indicated by the turning of-the: arrows 30, to form an annular. jetst ream (see 30'; Figure II) which en'erges somewhat like a flat thin washer. This jet stream, as indicated by the Figure III arrows 30, is thus directed 'to the inner ring edge of the separator plate 28 between the jet receiving chambers 26 and 27. Bodily movement of the annular jet is indicated by. arrow 3?, that the jet is movable along the-jet-receiving chamber body passage 29 so that the jet stream is appliedeither to the jet receiving chamber 26*or'the jet receiving chamber 27 or partially to each as divided by the separator plate 28. The separator plate28 isa-thin-annular discandis, in the actual structure, Figures IV and V,supported on eaclrsidelthereof by annular-dises 32 and- 33. These support discs are formed as indicated -in Figure VII and are-provided with inwardly tapering-fingers 34 from bases 35-" to points=36.' Thesupportdiscs 32; 33 are thin, flat, and annular, washer-like members with the fingers 34 tapering inwardly on aradial basis to form a circle of such fingers with the points 36 thereof defining a circle which is essentiallycoincident with the inner edge circle of the annular separator plate 28. The support discs 32, 33 have diametrically opposed mounting pin holes 37 and 38 which serve, as in Figure IV and along with similar holes in the separator plate-28 and aligning and mounting pins 39 and 40, to mount the separator disc 28 and its support discs32 and 33 in between, as shown in Figure IV, a pair of bodies 41 and 42 which together comprise the whole jet receiving chamber body 25 as described in connection with Figure III.

Again with reference to Figure III, a detail of the structure through which the jet flow, indicated by arrows 30, passes is shown in Figure V as an enlargement of the same structure shown in assembly in Figure IV. The showings of Figure VI and Figure VII are set forth in furtherance of the following description of the jet nozzle device of Figure V.

The main body of Figure V is the jet nozzle assembly and may be considered as a piston-like assembly with an arcuate peripheral jet ejection slot 43 therein. This slot is in the form of an uninterrupted full circle so that theliquid jet emerging therefrom is a thin washer-like bodywhose thickness is defined by the transverse-dimension of the peripheral slot 43. The piston-like assembly of Figure V is-mounted, as illustrated in Figure IV, in the=sleeve-likearrangement provided by the transverse opening 29'through the-jet receiver chamber body 25. Thus,- theassembly of Figure IVis essentially a pistonlike member with a peripheral arcuate slot, mounted in a sleeve which also has arcuate slots which essentially surround-the piston-like member, with the jet slot 43 of the-piston-like member alignable with these jet receiving,slots, and with these receiving slots being part of the jet receiving chambers 26'and 27.

The jet assembly of Figure V comprises a central shaft 44 with'a central axial opening 45 therein extending from the right end thereof to a dead'end beyond the lengthwise central portion of the shaft 44. From the lengthwise central portion of the shaft 44 and from the shaft axial opening 45, lateral exit openings 46 are provided, top and bottom, front andback, that-is, at each ninety degree radial angle point of'a transverse plane. Thus, the hydraulic fluid enters the shaft 44 through the passageZAS and exits therefrom through the side openings 46;, The hydraulic fluid is further guided. essentially radiallywith respect totheshaft 44 and the whole as sembly of Figure V by the inner end facing arrangement of a pai1 ,of psleeves 47 and 48 with a spacer washer '49 therebetWeen. The sleeves 4 7, 48 areidentical but oppositely'faced and the form of their inner end faces is illustrated in Figure VI'. The sleeves 47, 48am in close fitting relation with the shaft 44 but slidable thereon for assembly and disassembly purposes.

As shown in Figure VI, each of the sleeves 47, 48 is provided with a peripheral endwise lip 50, and it is the opposed facing of these lips to a calculated separation which provides the actual jetgap 43, Figures IV and V, through which the hydraulic fluid is ejected in an annular stream.

The jet gap.4-3 is in the form of an uninterrupted full circle gap. '1' his is made possible, again with reference to Figure Vi, by an inner circle of spacing studs 51 on the inner endfaces of the sleeves 47, 48. These studs extend parallel to the axis of the shaft 44 andare also spaced top, bottom; front, and back at ninety degree radial angle points. In assembly the studs 51 are offset with respect to the side openings 46 in the shaft 44. Thus, the hydraulic liquid in exiting; through the shaft openings 46-passes between the .spacer: studs -51 in its radial travel to the outside. .of =the Figure V assembly.- Having passedbetweenthe studs, 51, that is, between adjacentstuds on the end face; of one or both, of the sleeves 47, 48 as indicated'by arrow 52 in Figure VI, the hydraulic fluid thenenters annularichambers 53 and 54, which lie radially between thestuds Stand the lip 50 in each of the sleeves 47, 48. From these chambers, the hydraulic fluid is then ejected through the jet gap 43. As a means of establishing the width of thegap 43 as desired, the washer 49 is-.mounted:on, the shaft 44 in close slidingrelationtherewith, with-the studs 51 of each of the sleeves 47, 48 abutting the washer 49 on opposite sides thereof.

As a means of avoiding liquid flow restriction, each of the spacer discs32, 33 may be provided with a thickness dimension notless than the transverse dimension of the jet gap 43;

In the Figure V. showing,- in addition, to the illustration of the piston-like assembly, the jet receiving chambers separator arrangement is partially shown. This showing comprises portions of the assembly of the separator disc 28 with its side supporting discs 32 and 33. This arrangement is shown in relation to the jet opening 43, with an arrow 55 indicating. that the piston-like assembly based on the shaft 441is. axially movable to direct the liquid jet from the jet opening 43 to one side or the other of'the separator disc'28; Note that, to avoid confusion, the full circlelines of the discs 28, 32, 33 are omitted in Figure V, since -.they .would-traverse the showing of the assembly on the shaft 44. Figure VIII illustratesakey arrangement 44 used in the sleeves 47, 48 to assure .proper OffSfilIyOf the Figure VI studs 51 with respect to the Figure V shaft openings .46.

In the. general assembly showing of Figure IV, a mam support plate 56 is horizontally disposed, with the jet receiving chamber-body 25 depending therefrom and secured thereto, by bolts 57. The piston-like assembly of Figure V is, mounted in the Figure IV structure by means'of depending resilient strips 58 and 59 which have openings in theirlower ends for receiving the shaft 44. The resilient strips 58 and 59 are suitably secured on the shaft 44 by abutting shoulders inthe assembly, and the desired movement, through the opening 29, of the assembly based on the shaft 44 is thus permitted by the flexure mountings 58 and 59; A pair'of rigid members 60 and 6-1 arealso depended from the assembly of the plate 56 and the jet receiving chamber body 25.- These rigid members 60 and 61 have openings therethrough for receiving the peripheries of portions of the sleeves 47 and 48 on the shaft 44 to provide bearing surfaces therefor to guide the movement of the ,shaft 44 assembly through the jet receiving chamber body transverse opening 29.

In Figure IV, between the piston-like assembly based on the-shaft 44 andthe'sleeve opening 29, there is a suitable clearance as at 62 as an escape means for hydraulic fluid from one or the-other of the jet receiving chambers 26 and 27. That is, when the jet is applied to one of the chambers, the liquid in the other of the chambers is released by way of this clearance, so that the hydraulic liquid escapes from this other chamber back into the main body of liquid 11 in the tank as indicated in Figure I. v Q

1 Again as in Figure IV, the actuating arm 16 extends downwardly through the support plate 56 and is mounted thereon by means of a flexure plate 63 so that it may be pivoted to provide the desired movement in the pistonlike assembly of the shaft 44. The actuating arm 16 is secured to the shaft 44 through a second flexible member 64, which connects the shaft 16 to an apertured plate 65 mounted on the shaft 64. Thus, a rigid jet assembly based on the shaft 44 is provided, with this assembly flexure mounted for actuation by movement of the shaft 16. At the right side of Figure IV, a further development of this flexure mounting arrangement is shown in the flexible coupling sleeve 66, which is bellows-like in its formation, which has one end secured and sealed to the entrance end of the hydraulic passage 45 in the shaft 44, and which has its other end sealed and secured to the support plate 56 in connection with a liquid supply passage 67 therein which is fed from (Figure I) the supply pipe 19.

In Figure IV, the annular nature of the jet receiving chambers 26 and 27 is indicated. These chambers are annular in form so as to receive, in full circle reception, the full circle jet from the jet slot opening 43 in the jet assembly based on the shaft 44.

The showings of Figures XIII and XIV relate to Fig ure IV and illustrate different operating positions of the hydraulic jet of this invention. Figure XIII shows the jet at the extreme left, and fully aligned with the left hand jet receiving chamber 26. Figure XIV shows the jet at the extreme right, and fully aligned with the right hand jet receiving chamber 27. These different positions are accomplished through actuating movement of the lever 16, Figure IV. Note that the bellows 66 tips slightly in each case. In the left position, Figure XIII, the sleeve 47 abuts on the support 60. In the right position, Figure XIV, the sleeve 48 abuts on the support 61.

This invention, therefore, provides a new and improved hydraulic jet operator in which a hydraulic jet is provided in the form of a thin annular disc in a compact high precision device which is easily manufactured and which provides a relatively large jet volume of liquid from a small unit.

As many embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as changes may be made in the embodiments set forth above without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein a movable device is positioned in accordance with an operating signal, said system comprising a jet assembly with an uninterrupted full circle jet opening therefrom, a jet receiver assembly comprising a pair of annular jet receiving chambers essentially surrounding said jet opening and separated by a thin jet divider member and having output connection openings therefrom, said jet and jet receiver assemblies being mounted for relative movement with respect to each other whereby said jet is directed away from one jet receiving chamber and to the other jet receiving chamber, means for producing said relative movement of said assemblies in accordance with an operating signal, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said jet for ejection therefrom.

2. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein a movable device is positioned in accordance with an operating sig nal, said system comprising an annular jet assembly with an uninterrupted full circle jet opening therefrom,- a jet receiver assembly comprising a pair of annular jet .receiving chambers, axially concentric with'respect to said jet assembly and separated by a thin jet divider member having jet receiving openings which are uninterrupted full circle openings, and output connection openings from said jet receiving openings, said jet and jet receiver assemblies being mounted for relative movement with respect to each other whereby said jet is directed away from one jet receiving chamber and to the other jet receiving chamber, means for producing said relative movement of said assemblies in accordance with an operating signal, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said jet for ejection therefrom.

3. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein a movable device is positioned in accordance with an operating signal, said system comprising a piston-like member having a peripheral annular jet slot assembly, a jet receiver sleeve assembly receiving said piston member and comprising a pair of jet receiving annular chambers having output connection openings therefrom and being separated by a jet divider assembly, said divider assembly comprising a thin annular center disc and a pair of side supporting annular discs therefor, said supporting discs having a circle of radial angle spaced, tapered fingers extending radially inward from bases to point tips with said tips defining a circle essentially overlying the circle formed by the inner edge of said annular center disc, said jet and jet receiver assemblies being mounted for relative movement with respect to each other whereby said jet is directed away from one jet receiving chamber and to the other jet receiving chamber, means for producing said relative movement of said assemblim in accordance with an operating signal, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said jet for ejection therefrom.

4. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein a movable device is positioned in accordance with an operating signal, said system comprising an annular jet assembly with an uninterrupted full circle jet opening therefrom, a jet receiver assembly comprising a pair of annular jet receiving chambers, essentially surrounding said jet opening, having output connection openings therefrom and being separated by a thin jet divider member and having jet receiving openings which are uninterrupted fullcircle openings, said divider assembly comprising a thin annular center disc and a pair of side supporting discs therefor, said supporting discs having a circle of radial angle spaced, tapered fingers extending radially inward bases to point tips with said tips defining a circle essentially overlying the circle formed by the inner edge of said annular center disc, said jet and jet receiver assemblies being mounted for relative movement with respect to each other whereby said annular jet is directed away from one jet receiving chamber and to the other jet receiving chamber, means for producing said relative movement of said assemblies in accordance with an operating signal, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid to said annular jet for ejection therefrom.

5. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein a movable device is positioned in accordance with an operating signal, said system comprising piston-like jet assembly with a peripheral uninterrupted full circle jet opening therefrom, said jet assembly comprising a central shaft with an axial opening therein for receiving hydraulic fluid to be ejected from said jet opening, said shaft having exit openings therethrough for the passage of said fluid outward from said axial opening of said shaft, a pair of sleeves on said shaft with adjacent ends thereof located about said exit openings and formed with peripheral lips which together form said full circle jet opening, abutment studs on said adjacent ends of each sleeve and close to said shaft, and a washer about said shaft and abutted on both sides by said studs, the

assesse said lips, studs, and washer beingdimensioned-to-sepafull circle jet opening a jet receiverassembly comprising a pair of annularf'jet receivingchambers-v essentially surrounding said jet opening, havingoutput connection openings therefrom, beingseparated by a thinjet divider member and havingjet receivingopenings which are uninterrupted, full circle openings,- saiddivider assembly comprising a thin annular center disc anda pair offside supporting discs therefor, said supporting discs having-a circle of radial angle spaced tapered fingers extending radially inward from bases to'point'tips, with said'tips defining circle essentially overlying thecircle formed by the inner edge of said'annular center disc, saicl jet and jet receiver assemblies being nrount'edforrelative movement with respect to each other whereby-said nular jet is directed away from onejet receiving charm-- her and to the other jet-receiving chamber, means for producing said relative movement of said assembliesin accordance with'an operating signal, andmeansfor sup plying hydraulic fluid to said annularjet--for;ejection therefrom.

6. A hydraulic jet operator system wherein amovable device is positioned in accordance withanoperating signal, said system comprising-a support plate, a housing depending from said support plate, atransversc opening through said housing, a-jet assemblymounted in said transverse opening for movement therealong and with a fluid escape clearance between saidjet-assembly and the walls of said housing, said jet assembly mounting comprising a pair of fiexures depending fromthe assembly of said support plate and said housing, means for imparting said movement to said jet assembly :comprising an operating shaft, depending through said=sup'port plate and fieXure mounted thereon, and-means for applying fluid to said jet assembly for ejection therefrom comprising a flexible tube connection from-afluid supply port in said support plateto said jet assembly, said jet assembly having a peripheral annular-jet slot therein and said housing having a pair-of:jet receiving annular chambers opening to the interior of said-transverse opening in said housing-whereby said-movement imparting means selectively-aligns said jetslot with said annular chambers, said chambers being-separated bya thin jet divider member and; having outputconnection openings therefrom to-output-passages in said-support plate.

7. A hydraulic relay-regulator-devicecomprising an ejector structure and a receiver-I st-ructure,-- one of said structures comprising a-- pair of bodies having registered internal openings of correspondingperipheral profiles, meeting surfaces spaced outward from and surrounding said openings, and facing surface portions adjacent said openingsand that are: spaced} apart and define between them a-narrow; inwardly'facing aperture that-extendsabout the-peripheriesof'said openings; and internal passage-means-cornmunicat ing with said' aperture, the other ofsaid structures comprisingat body having an external periphera l profile substantially matching the internal peripheral=profileand said openings, a peripheral aper ture-that substantially matchesthe first said aperture, and internal passage-means-communicating with the second *said aperture and-meansconnecting said structures and-supportingthemwith the body of said other structure disposed within said openings-in symmetrical spacing fromthe-surfaces defining; them, and said connecting means bei-ng arranged to permit rectilinear relative movement of said structures in directions extended'transverse to {said apertures:

8. 'A hydraulic relay regulator device 1 for delivering fluid under pressure toa-service lineat a -variable rate determined by theposition-of a movable control memher, said dvice-comprising-anejector structure provided witha thiu; elongate-discharge orifice of materially grcater lengththan-width, and with an internal supply passage arrangementfor -deliveringfluid underpressure to said=orifice forforceabledischargetherethrough in the form of a sheet, a receiver structure having therein a port arranged to deliver fluid to -a service line and of substantially;theshape and size of said orifice, and supportmeans-maintaining said-structures with said orifice and port facing oppositely and for movement of one said structure relative tothe other and inresponse to movement of the control member, in directions-extended transverse-tc said orifice andport and in a path wherein relative movement varies'degree of registration of said port and orifice; one of said structures having an we ternal peripheral' surface that is-cylindrical and the other having; an internal peripheral surface that is cylindrical and concentric with said external surface, and the said port and1orifice respectively open through the different said surfaces and are extended about the periphcries that they respectively define.-

References Cited in' the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 753,773- Wilkinson Mar. 1, 1904 2,166,705, Hochschulz;.. July 18, 1939 2,269,072 Wilde Jan. 6, 1942 2447,7791, Taplin Aug 24, 1948 2,726,671 Zand Dec.; 13, 1955 2,827,020, Cnok MHIHMIB; 1.9

FOREIGN- PATENTS:

276,755 Switzerland July 31, 1951 

